Metering liquid dispenser and recorder



Allg. 4, 1953 J, p` ARENA 2,647,660

METERING LIQUID DISPENSER AND RECORDER Filed Nov. 3, 1951 Patented Aug. 4, 1953 METERING LIQUID DISPENSER AND RECORDER Joseph P. Arena, Astoria,vN. Y. Application November 3, 1951, Serial No. 254,726 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-38) The present invention relates to dispensing devices for dispensing liquids from bottles and containers, and particularly to what I choose to term a metering liquid dispenser.

The main object of my invention is to provide means for dispensing liquid from a bottle or like container in controlled manner. f

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle or the like with a dispensing device for the contents thereof that will not only control the pouring from the bottle but also limits the total amount that may be poured at any one pouring.

A further object is to have a dispensing device for a bottle that may be inserted like a stopper into the neck thereof whereafter the bottle will automatically measure and allow a single predetermined -amount of liquid to be poured from the device each time the bottle is tilted for pouring. v

It is also an object to have the dispensing de- Vice of the invention provided with means for indicating the number of doses of liquid that have been poured from the bottle equipped with the device.

In addition, an object of the invention is to have manual control means upon such a dispensing device that serves to start the dispensing of a single predetermined quantity or dose of the liquid at will.

An ancillary object is to have such va dispensing device provided with a metering chamber for receiving from the bottle upon operation of the manual control means a predetermined amount of liquid that is thereafter the sole amount dispensed from the device.

An important object is, of course to have a dispensing device of the character indicated that is simple to apply to a bottle and simple to use, and yet certain to operate effectively to measure and dispense predetermined doses and amounts of liquid from a bottle or container until the Abottle is empty.

vIt is, of course a practical object to have a bottle equipped with such a dispensing device ywhich is simple in form and construction and removable from one bottle when empty to another that is full for use upon the latter until it also is empty, and so on.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willl appear in further detail as the speciiication proceeds. j In order tofacilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a metering dispensing device made according to the invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

kFigure 2 is a top or plan view of the same dispensing device;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the device as taken on line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of a sliding shutter of the device which is normally concealed within the same; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5 5 in Figure 3.

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts.

When dispensing liquids, for example, beverages from bottles, it is frequently desirable to dispense accurate amounts of beverage from a bottle, so that it can be known beforehand how many drinks are to be expected from the one bottle, not to mention that it is often also important that the amounts are invariable and equal each time a dose is dispensed. Such conditions are certainly important when dispensing medicinal drinks or doses of liquids that are either potent or expensive or both. Despite the importance of such considerations, no practical and simple dispensing device for such all around use has been generally adopted.

Upon consideration of this problem, it has occurred to me that a simple and effective metering and recording dispensing device for a bottle should be highly desirable in several elds of use. As a result, I have succeeded in producing a metering dispensing device along the lines a1- ready mentioned, as will now be more fully set forth in the following.

Hence, lin the practice of my invention, and referring also again to the drawing. a generally rounded hollowbody member 6 has a neck portion l surrounded by a reinforcing collar 8 by which 'it is connected to a hollow stopper or plug member 9 of more or less yieldable material such as cork, plastic composition, rubber, or the like. The stopper member has a bore I0 communicating directly through the neck 'l with the main interior chamber Il of body member 6. Extending parallel to the bore l0 and projecting a distance out from plug 9 is an air vent tube I2 passing through the plug or stopper to the interior chamber H. Above this chamber is a partition I3 which serves as a trapr or choker 'plate to prevent any further flow of the liquid from a container, inasmuch as the air is cut olf from the air vent tube I2 and extending from the outer end wall of body member 6 inwardly toward the neck portion 1 substantially parallel to the bore I therein, but leaving an opening I4 between the end of this partition and the inner wall I5 of a meter chamber I6. In this chamber I6 is located a rotatable meter or indicator I1 having a sprocket I8 operated by a pivotally mounted, finger I9 upon which the shorter end 20 is adapted' to'be moved downwardly by aprojection 2l upon a sliding member 22.

The sliding member 22 serves several purposes, being flexible and preferably av metal band or strip provided at the top with an operating push: rod 23 capped by a head 24 and provided with a return spring 25 engaging beneath the head and upon the circular body member 5. If the head` is pushed down by any means', the projection 2`I will depress short end E!! of the operating; linger I9 and will thereby raise the latter and rotate indicator I1 by the feeding of one tooth on the sprocket I8, after which. the. springl 25. again raises the push. rod. and. its head 24 to original operative position. The meter or indicator is provided abouti-ts periphery with` a series onumbers 26 and has a glass or other window 21 in the body member 6 for viewing the. number. in position beneath this window., each number representinga dose of the liquid dispensedv from the device.

Within the hollowl body member is a curved slide guide formed of two oppositecurved flanges 28, 28. in whichl the sliding shutter member 2'2 is adapted to be moved upon depression` of head 2d onrod 22'.. This sliding. member has an aperture 29 adapted. in depressedposition of the shutter 22V to register withthe bore` I0 or stopper member SiA at its inner end and thereby provide iree. communication between this bore and the interior of the body member 6. The far end of this shutter 22 then projects forward into a pocket BelwithinA chamber'. II and shuts ori the outlet passage 3l in a spout 32 reinforced by a collar 33 on the mentioned body member'. To the outer end o thisspout. is hingeda closing member 34 by hinge means 35.

If it is assumedt that the stopper member 9 is thrust into a bottleneck. indicated at 3B and the bottle tilted to a horizontal. posi-tion as shown in Figures 2 andi 3, normally, the liquid. in the bottle will be stopped from entering chamber II in body member 5f by shutter 22- because the ap.- erture 2li thereinv is disposed. above the level of bore Ill of the stopper 9'. I-n order to depress the push rod 23 in proper operative manner to bring down the aperture 29.1 in the shutter and allow fluid to iiow into chamber II from the bottle 3S, a trigger 31 is pivoted. at. 3S to reinrorcing collar 8' of the deviceand has a short end Sel pivotally connected.- to thelower end of a link M provided with an upper hooked end 42. that 1its upon heady 24 of. push rod 23.

When the bottleis held in the hand, pre-ferably by the neck a linger may be used to press on trigger' 31 to bring it closer to this neck, this` movement drawing down link 4I and depressing push rod E3 and shutter 22. The immediate result is that the spout passage is cut off at 3l by the far end of the shutter 2.2 while the aperture 2B in the shutter freely allows: the chamber II iny member B tobe filled with. liquid upto partition I3. Release of the trigger 31 will then allow spring 215. to raise. the push-..rod and return shutter 22'l to closingV position. with respect to` bore. t0', but open position. with. re-

spect to spout passage 3l, so that the fluid measured by the chamber I I will be dispensed through spout 32. In order to facilitate free flow of liquid into and then out from chamber II, an aspirating chamber 43 is included within member 6 above partition I3 to provide an intermediate buffer chamber 44 into which a spout 45 from chamber 43 projects, the opening i4 providing communication between butlerchamber 44 and main measuringfehamber Ill. In addition, an opening 46 is provided in the outer wall of body member 6 for admission or escape of air from the buier chamber, so that filling and thereafter emptying of the' main chamber I l will be quickly eiected.

Marri'iestly, Variations may be resorted to, and parts and features may be modified or used without others the scope of the appended claims.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim.:` v

l. A metering. liquid dispenser adapted tol be inserted into or connected to the neck of an open bottle, including, a. hollow body member, a stopper member rigidly connected' to the body memberv andl having an open. bore. communicating directly with the interior chamber of the body mem-ber, a dispensing. spout.- projecting from a portion of said4 body member remote from the stopper member and. also. communicating with the chamber within said body member, manually operable means. for simultaneously opening communication between the mentioned chamber' and the spout-and closing` communication between the bore in said stopper member and said'y chamber and vice versa, a metering device enclosed'` within said body member out of Contact with liquid passingr intoI and out of said chamber and having a window inthe wall. of said body member for visual inspection of said metering device, and a. projection upon the. manually operated means tor operating said metering. device during each operative stroke of said. manually operated means to record the. stroke of. said device, wherein the manually operated means includes a slidable shutter having. an operatingV push rod extending to the, exterior of'. said circular bodiy member, a guide within, the latter for retaining. the shutter in a position inw-nich the end thereof is siidable across the passage in the spout or away from the same and the shutter has an aperture in ann other portion thereof capable of registering with thefboreinthe stopper member or being withdrawn irornl said bore upon sliding movement of. said shutter member, a. trigger pivoted upon the exterior of said body member, a return spring-mounted. on. the push. rod' for Vretiuning it to original position. when the trigger is released, the projection for operating the metering device being fixed on. saldi shutter member, and a link connected at one end to the trigger and at the other endconhected to the push rod' for depress- Ing it by means oi' the trigger.

2. A. metering liquid dispenser accordingl to claim 1, wherein ay partition is disposed' within the body member and dividesV the interior into a main'. metering chamber and a buffer chamber having a, limitedopening into the` mainV chamber and a limited opening to thev atmosphere through the outsidewall of. said` body member.

v Y3. A.. metering dispensing. device according to claim 2`, wherein the stopper member has an air v-ent tube extending. independently into the same from. a point. spaced .a short distance beyond the .outer end ofsaidistoppermember. and at the inner end terminating in open condition at the inner end of the bore in said stopper member at the point where the bore communicates with the main metering chamber within said body member.

4. A metering liquid dispenser according to claim 2, wherein above the chamber there is a partition which serves as a trap or choker plate to prevent any further flow of the liquid from a container, inasmuch as the air is cut off from the air vent tube.

5. A metering dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the body member has an aspirating chamber adjacent to the buffer chamber with an opening communicating therewith and has the opening to the atmosphere in the outer wall thereof.

6. A metering dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the aspirating chamber has a spout forming the opening therein communicating with the buffer chamber, the spout projecting into said buffer chamber.

7. A metering dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein the shutter member forms an inner closure in one operated position thereof for the dispensing spout of the device and the latter has an outer closure hinged thereto at the outer end thereof.

JOSEPH P. ARENA.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,209,766 Dale et al. July 30, 1940 2,473,462 Wortman June 14, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 433,809 Germany Sept. 9, 1926 

